New 27-Inch iMac's Storage Affixed to Logic Board, 4TB and 8TB Configurations Have Expansion Connector

[gk4]

Buy the best configuration you can afford and don't look back. The iMac has every expansion port you'll likely ever need and TB3 makes adding super fast storage stupid easy. OWC sells a tiny TB3 box that can house 4 NVME m.2 sticks.

So get an iMac over a Mac Mini for the sleek design and lack of wires, then attach a bunch of stuff to it and put wires everywhere?

I'd actually consider this less of an issue on a Mac Mini because you're already buying a separate device there. but when you're buying an AIO form factor - forcing any expansion to be done on the outside is less forgivable.

 

[neoelectronaut]

Actually, the bondi iMac is very easy to work on, it’s one or two screws and the whole computer essentially comes out in a tray with easy access to everything. Not much harder on the newer iMac G3 either.

Even the The iMac G4 and iMac G5 aren't too terrible either.

The eMac is the real goddamn fly in the ointment. It's not hard to get into but there's so...many...screws.

So get an iMac over a Mac Mini for the sleek design and lack of wires, then attach a bunch of stuff to it and put wires everywhere?

I'd actually consider this less of an issue on a Mac Mini because you're already buying a separate device there. but when you're buying an AIO form factor - forcing any expansion to be done on the outside is less forgivable.

Grab one of those iMac backpacks and you can hide the drive away without a cable in sight. Heck with some of the smaller NVMe enclosures you could probably velcro it to the back of the iMac.

Or heck, if you don't need ridiculously fast storage, you could always go the NAS route.

 

[mindquest]

Not true. Extremely likely that the 4 and 8 TB SSD out perform the 256GB here. Also not significant impact on security. Similarly the iMac Pro and Mac Pro... Not any substantively less secure and no real speed issues what so ever.

Just curious how the 4 & 8 TB SSD might be faster?

 

[deconstruct60]

The report doesn't say, but are the soldered on Flash-RAM and soldered header (when there) mutually incompatible? As in, does the header surface mounting pins still exist such that a competent "expert" could add the header, and if so, does any existing Flash-RAM prohibit/obstruct the mounting/fastening of an installable SSD module and/or access to the storage controller/CPU?

Extremely likely that won't work. If the Header is not there the NAND chips are going to be there. More likely that the "header" buffer for the NAND chipsets that are there is also likely soldered to the board. Not going to two ( or three) headers to the SSD controller that has firmware only to hand one/two. It isn't purely a hardware thing. Have to line up with the internal SSD hardware also.

The "header" is pragmatically a internal component of the SSD. The "SSD Modules" that Apple sells are not SSDs. A more accurate description is NAND daughter cards. There is a comunication buffer that the T2 talks to which in turn is connected to the 'raw' NAND chips. Where Apple is dumping the "header" means they likely also are probably moving that comm buffer to the logic board along with the NAND chips.

Mixing-and-matching NAND chips configuration that the SSD controller firmware doesn't recognize probably is problematical also.

Long and short of it is don't see lots of "open off the shelf SSD and solder/desolder X, Y, Z to the board" that manufacturer didn't explicitly intend and end up with working SSD. There is no much of an iFixit for SSD internals.

 

[iBluetooth]

Security yes, but there are m.2 SSDs out there that outperform this new iMac by quite a bit. I don't really think you can say soldering on the storage is providing a speed benefit.

I have been listening to these complaints since Apple started using nVME and p was proprietary Apple connector.

Your argument (if you actually are being serious) falls flat considering the Mac Pro has user accessible memory and SSD. Nobody is calling the Mac Pro any less secure.

The Mac Pro is much bigger box. Engineering is about compromises, you may not like it but, but there always have to be compromises done with the majority of buyers in mind.

 

[RyanXM]

Total of -2 then?

Well they gave the 2015 a 5...so I'd expect a 3 or 4 for the 2020 with the new revelation of the SSD being soldered.

 

[aid]

Because in 2020 data safety is more important than being able to repair a drive that never dies.

Not being able to install a bigger drive is definitely a bad thing, but not compared to data safety.

Security is based upon three tenants… Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability. Tying the T2 chip to the SSD is a win for the first two – however is severely impacts the availability aspect. In some environments (typically businesses handing sensitive data) this is an acceptable trade off, however, for many users is is not. Give a user a choice between "an individual has gained access to your pictures" and "you've lost all your pictures" which will impact them most?

I'm sure there will be many reponses of "backup!" – but how are the backups secured? They may well be encrypted (although I suspect most Time Machine drives are not encrypted) - even if encryption is in use, are they tied to the T2 chip? No, they're not. T2 won't protect external drives.

End result; your data is no safer by tying the T2 to the SSD.

 

[aid]

I think a major part of this decision is also ease and cost of computer assembly. Soldering a memory chip onto the logic board can be done quickly with a robot, while a HDD or SSD that needs to be plugged into a connector on the logic board must be assembled by hand.

An iMac isn't a cheap-as-chips computer for $300.

 

[deconstruct60]

Just curious how the 4 & 8 TB SSD might be faster?

Primarily because they are on every other T2 implementation.

In general though, larger capacity SSD drives tend to have more internal NAND Flash storage dies . Either more NAND chip packages and/or more dies stacked inside the packages. All high performance SSD drives use parallel writes and reads. ( If the SSD read and write speeds are approximately the same then it is internally using some from of what is commonly called RAID to get that done. Inherently NAND storage is far, far, far slower at writes than reads. To even it out you have to do something "extra". )

The higher capacity drives on T2 implementation just have more opportunity for parallelism to go faster.

 

[aid]

The average iMac user rarely needs expansion beyond storage. I'm still using my MacBook Pro from 2012. I haven't added on anything. Works great like it did the day I bought it. I'm also still using my 2009 Mac Pro, albeit sparingly. The only thing I did with that one was replace the platter drive (default option) with a SSD. Nothing else was changed.

Buy the best configuration you can afford and don't look back. The iMac has every expansion port you'll likely ever need and TB3 makes adding super fast storage stupid easy. OWC sells a tiny TB3 box that can house 4 NVME m.2 sticks.

You're still running a HDD from 2012 in your MBP!?!?! That's nuts! Get an SSD in tomorrow and it will feel like a new machine for around $60!

 

[aid]

Just curious how the 4 & 8 TB SSD might be faster?

It will likely be made up of more discrete chips; allowing for more data to be pulled out of the unit in parallel.

 

[Mousse]

Tsk. If the LB craps out you lose all you data. Am I the only one who has issues with this? If that wasn't bad enough, Apple (Apple's repair tech) will have access to your data once he repairs and tests‡ the LB.

‡Anyone who has worked computer repairs knows what I mean by tests here. For those not in the know, it means we're snooping through your personal data, mostly looking for nekkid selfies.

 

[gk4]

The Mac Pro is much bigger box. Engineering is about compromises, you may not like it but, but there always have to be compromises done with the majority of buyers in mind.

The size of the box doesn't really address the argument though. How does a bigger box allow the SSD to be secure in the Pro when it isn't secure in the iMac?

 

[PsykX]

Aren't they being sued in a few countries for the Right to Repair?
Their response is to solder MORE stuff?

 

[aid]

Tsk. If the LB craps out you lose all you data. Am I the only one who has issues with this? If that wasn't bad enough, Apple (Apple's repair tech) will have access to your data once he repairs and tests‡ the LB.

That's only the case if you've also supplied them with your password, yeah?

 

[TonyTech]

The new Apple computers, with the exception of the Mac Pro, are pretty much disposable.

 

[reyesmac]

By the way this is going, expect no user upgradable parts when apple switches from intel to their own chips. It wouldn't make sense. It seems as though they save money by having robots build their computers. In that scenario everything on the motherboard would be soldered on by machine and encased in an enclosure similar to an iPhone. Very tight, very compact, very Apple. With the banking arm Apple has now you won't need to repair your computers because you will never stop paying for them. You will lease them and have warranty as long as your paying Apple every month. If you dont and you do have to repair it, it will be very expensive or voids your warranty if not done by Apple. Then profits profits profits.

 

[anshuvorty]

By the way this is going, expect no user upgradable parts when apple switches from intel to their own chips. It wouldn't make sense. It seems as though they save money by having robots build their computers. In that scenario everything on the motherboard would be soldered on by machine and encased in an enclosure similar to an iPhone. Very tight, very compact, very Apple. With the banking arm Apple has now you won't need to repair your computers because you will never stop paying for them. You will lease them and have warranty as long as your paying Apple every month. If you dont and you do have to repair it, it will be very expensive or voids your warranty if not done by Apple. Then profits profits profits.

Microsoft 365 anyone?

 

[aid]

By the way this is going, expect no user upgradable parts when apple switches from intel to their own chips. It wouldn't make sense. It seems as though they save money by having robots build their computers. In that scenario everything on the motherboard would be soldered on by machine and encased in an enclosure similar to an iPhone. Very tight, very compact, very Apple. With the banking arm Apple has now you won't need to repair your computers because you will never stop paying for them. You will lease them and have warranty as long as your paying Apple every month. If you dont and you do have to repair it, it will be very expensive or voids your warranty if not done by Apple. Then profits profits profits.

I think you're right. It just about works in the iPhone land of $400-$1000 purchase prices. But I don't really see how all this is viable with a $4,000 computer. :-(

 

[Pearple]

There should be a law requiring manufacturers to produce computers with replaceable key components. Having to throw the thing away because of a chip failure is environmental madness. I think the EU can come up with something like that and greedy Cook would pay hefty fines for his mafia like sales tactics ...

 

[Tesix2]

The future is an Apple dumb terminal connected to an iPhone with an awesome screen but a $300 a month subscription to access cloud compute and storage.

 

[UK-MacAddict]

Mac rumors posters: Apple needs to do something with the macs. The iMac design hasn’t changed in over 10 years, it’s ugly and old. Tim clearly doesn’t care about us actual computer users.
Next year when Apple redesigns the iMac:
Mac Rumors posters: omg you can’t upgrade the ram anymore? You can’t upgrade the storage? Clearly this is just a cash grab, there was nothing wrong with the old design. Tim just cares about money and thinness

Nothing to prevent Apple redesigning the iMac AND allowing those options. They just choose not to for cash grab purposes.

 

[UK-MacAddict]

There should be a law requiring manufacturers to produce computers with replaceable key components. Having to throw the thing away because of a chip failure is environmental madness. I think the EU can come up with something like that and greedy Cook would pay hefty fines for his mafia like sales tactics ...

Not that I agree with Apples choices to solder RAM etc and make them non user replaceable, but isn’t the majority of the Mac and idevices recyclable?

 

[ignatius345]

Considering it was a really difficult procedure to get in there anyway (quite high risk of shattering the display by all accounts) I don't think this will be a massive loss to most people... it's not like its gone from a quick couple of screws job to impossible, it's gone from definitely voiding your warranty, possibly breaking your display, and maybe electrocuting yourself to impossible!

Eh. As an amateur who recently opened up an iMac 5k to replace a dying fusion drive, I think you’re overstating the difficulty. It’s delicate, for sure, but if you’re careful it’s doable. I did it in a few hours and was not electrocuted, nor did I do any damage to the screen or any internals.

 

[magbarn]

Because in 2020 data safety is more important than being able to repair a drive that never dies.

Not being able to install a bigger drive is definitely a bad thing, but not compared to data safety.

I can understand this with MacBooks, but not a big issue with desktops.
You have much bigger risk with data safety with hacks from the internet than someone breaking into your house and taking your iMac to steal the data.